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Idle Eye 132 : The Christmas Special*

Kirsty: Due to swingeing cuts the BBC has suffered recently, my castaway this week is alcoholic and sometime blogger Idle Eye. I know, me neither. His pithy and often self-deprecating blog has been read by an ever-decreasing audience since its inception in 2011, and he claims to be a mouthpiece for the very few disaffected, middle-aged misanthropes he manages to connect with. Good morning, sir.

Me: Good morning, Kirsty.

Kirsty: I understand that you no longer make any money whatsoever from your work. Is this true?

Me: That’s correct. I started by writing for my brother’s pub, but it soon became pretty clear that the stuff I put out was having an adverse effect on his clientele: They stayed away in their droves. The rest is history.

Kirsty: So what’s the incentive, if you don’t mind me asking?

Me: Well, Kirsty, the strapline for the whole shebang is “Getting it off my chest and onto yours”, which I suppose is the main thrust. And I nicked that from Peter Cook. Sadly, there isn’t an original bone in my body. But I soldier on.

Kirsty: Let’s have some music.

Me: My first would have to be Instant Street by dEUS, which hit me like a bullet when it came out in 19…

Kirsty: We don’t have that one, I’m afraid.

Me: Oh…Well, how about Heavenly Pop Hit by The Chills? Theflagship band from New Zealand’s Flying Nun stable when they were at their…

Kirsty: Nor that.

Me: I thought you had these things lined up beforehand?

Kirsty: Look, Sarah Millican asked for Wham! if that’s any help.Work with me.

Me: Ok.

[You Drive Me Crazy – Shakin’ Stevens]

Kirsty: Thank you. Now, tell me about your drinking. You profess a disturbing reliance on Marlborough Pinot Noir in order to get your ideas onto the page. Would you describe yourself as a writer with a drinking problem or a drinker with a writing problem?

Me: I like to think of it as both. Although it’s clear which one would have to go if push came to shove.

Kirsty: I see. And do you think you could manage without?

Me: To be fair, there’s a lot of crap out there. And the telly’s getting better and better. So yes, I think so.

Kirsty: Let’s have your next disc.

Me: Can I have…

[We Are The Champions – Queen]

Kirsty: You mention your family in several posts. Tell me about the early years: Did they spot the signs of your forthcoming invisibility or was it something you had to work at alone?

Me: When you say ‘forthcoming invisibility’…

Kirsty: That, by your own admission, your efforts are widely ignored. “Like farting into a wind tunnel”, as you once put it.

Me: It was a symbiotic arrangement, I seem to remember. To have your ‘efforts’ overlooked as a young man does stand you in good stead for later life. In many ways it was a gift, for which I am profoundly grateful.

Kirsty: Forgive me for bringing this up, but we’re running out of time and we need a hook. Your father, a much-loved television and film actor, died last year. How did his tangible success, first realised when he was less than half your age, affect your confidence as an artist in your own right?

Me: Well, Kirsty, I see it like this: Success is very much like wine – Some of it can be enjoyed young (and some of it can be very good), but I think most of us would agree that in order for it to be at its very best, it needs to have sat around for a while.

Kirsty: But if you leave it too long, it gets tipped down the sink.

Me: There is that.

Kirsty: Let’s have some more mu…actually, let me do it.

[Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid]

Me: I hate that one, by the way.

Kirsty: Me too. But it’s your show.

Me: And I normally write 500 words, preferably less.

Kirsty: Just say it’s a Christmas Special. You can do whatever you like with them, trust me. Now, I’m going to give you The Complete Works of Shakespeare and The Bible to take with you. And a book of your choice: What’s it going to be?

Me: Well, it’s a toss-up between…

[Sarah Millican’s Support Group audiobook – Sarah Millican (signed)]

Kirsty: And a luxury too. You can have one thing on the island to make life more bearable.

5 thoughts on “Idle Eye 132 : The Christmas Special*”

i had Dan Laider on my twitter btw, and managed to get across my point about him being a genius i think, however i was following too many people, and so to avoid upset i made another account under my music name, and followed Dan Laidler again, and possibly once more re-iterated my point about him being a genius, watched some of his youtube videos which reminded me of my childhood and made me cry, and then i was following too many people again and it was taking me 4 hours plus to talk to them all, and so to avoid upset i made another account…. under my new music name… are you following this ??

and so anyway i love this blog post. ❤

i have been doing some music… actually alot… cant seem to stop.. but, helps me not to drink quite so heavily, and so here is some of that if you are interested:

ok i am so confused after writing all that that i have forgotten my own name. i should follow Dan Laidler again with my new account, i really need to get across my point about him being a genius, can you tell him i said hi 🙂 cheers xx

Hello Rosecat. Glad you liked it, it’s the closest I get to festivity. I shall pass on your kind words to young Dan, I’m sure they’ll go down well. I need a second listen to “How Awesome It would be to fly a plane” – It challenges every rule going relating to the traditional consumption of popular song. Like Lou Reed’s Berlin, perhaps. Or Neil Young’s Arc. One of those ones you have to live with for quite some time before the magic reveals itself. In the meantime, Christmas greetings to you